The snowy rural landscape in south central Wisconsin last Friday.
LAST WEEK I SMUGLY smiled as my daughter shared that 5.5 inches of snow fell in Madison, Wisconsin, where she lives. We’d had none yet here in Faribault.
The snowy landscape en route to Madison. The southern Minnesota landscape now looks similar after a Tuesday night snowfall.
That changed last night. I awoke this morning to a landscape layered in several inches of snow. So much for my attitude of better you, Wisconsin, than us in Minnesota.
Sections of the interstate still showed residual salt brine, or whatever is used to treat icy/snowy roadways in Wisconsin.
That all said, Randy and I traveled to Madison the day after their snowfall. Only residuals remained like snow flying off semis, dried salt brine on the interstate, snow in shadowed woods and upon fields, and, in the capitol city, snow atop parked vehicles.
The bluffs along the Mississippi River near La Crosse are still autumn beautiful, albeit muted under cloudy skies. I photographed this last Friday.
Built into the Mississippi River-side bluff along I-90, Minnesota side, near La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The beautiful and diverse landscape of southern Wisconsin as photographed from the interstate.
Despite Winter’s presence, we saw Autumn in seemingly no hurry to exit the Midwest. Stubborn leaves still clung to hillsides of trees. Rusty remnants of a season that, for me, was way too short this year.
From Minnesota to Wisconsin, so many cornfields remain unharvested. This one is in southeastern Minnesota.
For farmers also. I observed endless acres of unharvested cornfields during our four-hour drive to and from Madison. Way too much rain has muddied fields and delayed harvest. I feel for the farmers. They’ve experienced a difficult year with excessive rainfall. And now this snow…
© Copyright 2019 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I hearing the whole US is supposed to have a doozy of a winter this year. We’re already seeing temps running an average of 30 degrees below normal and an Arctic blast on the way. Lovely photos, Audrey. I especially like the 2nd one in your post.
And we had a doozy of a winter here last year in Minnesota. I don’t want a repeat.
I remember the pictures you posted last year of the mountains of snow!! 😦
Yes, last winter was particularly snowy in Minnesota. They are predicting a lot of snow again this winter.
The Devils Lake ND area where I grew up had 24 inches of snow several weeks ago, that was my “Better them than us” moment. As far as the late harvest, I’ve seen combines harvesting corn and sunflowers with snow on the ground. Farmers sure have to deal with lots of challenges.
Two feet of snow in one shot is a lot. Way too much. And, yes, farmers do face many challenges.
September/October here was a heat wave with an added sauna (humidity) at times – been waking up to the 70’s so far for November. This month and out of hurricane season too. I will just take in winter through my screen since I do not know if I can do winter anymore since living here. Take Care, Be Safe, Keep Warm! Happy Day – Enjoy 🙂
Now hurricane season is not something I would want to experience. All OK with you in that regards?
Deeply cold here in Minnesota with that snow contributing to that. But the sun is shining bright!
So far so good – thank our lucky stars daily during hurricane season 🙂 That bright sunshine fools you at times in thinking it is warm out and more like brrrrrr!!!
I’m thankful all is fine with you.
Spoken as a native Minnesotan: “That bright sunshine fools you at times in thinking it is warm out and more like brrrrrr!!!”
You got that right because it’s definitely COLD out there.
As always your photo essays are well thought out displaying evocative images, sparse words but with contemplative thoughts. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your generous words, Sue. I appreciate, as always, your observations.
I have a feeling you are not alone in your snow scape either. Looks like snow is coming everywhere and I will probably get to see some in Ohio this weekend. Not thrilled about that but it is to be expected around this time of year. Enjoy the winter blast!
May I laugh at your “enjoy the winter blast?” I know my friend Jackie in Rochester will/does. She loves winter.
I made my bi-annual trip to Nebraska in late September and early October and glad I did, because it seems we bypassed autumn and headed right into winter weather this year! Even down here in Oklahoma the NW part of the state has gotten a little snow, and we’ve had below freezing temperatures many nights.
I enjoy you’re pretty snow photos, and hope I won’t be posting any of my own any time soon!! 😀
Yes, winter has arrived exceptionally early and I don’t like it one bit. Too cold and too snowy already for this early in the season.
The farm landscape is beautiful with snow but a hard year on farmers. So many farms in my area never planted crops because of the wet fields. I saw a few installing drainage systems instead.
I agree that this has been an especially difficult growing season for many farmers with too much rain. Many cornfields remain unharvested.